My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 161 Attitude
"Such a thing actually happened."

This was the first time Zhang Du had heard of this, but he still asked, "Does Old Master Qu have a way to do the same thing?"

"I don't understand this process of gathering and relaying information."

“But if I only buy a few restaurants and don’t arouse suspicion, I can still do it.”

Is this really true?

“Mr. Zhang, I am a merchant by trade. What difficulty is there in buying and selling shops? To be honest, I also own several shops in Hebei.”

Zhang Du was overjoyed to find that the problem that had troubled him for so long was no big deal for Qu Qiusheng. He quickly told Qu Qiusheng about his next few targets, and Qu Qiusheng gave him purchasing and business advice.

The two chatted for a while, and Zhang Du couldn't help but ask, "Old Master Qu, you've always been hesitant to ask about these things before, why do you suddenly want to get involved?"

Qu Qiusheng pointed to the black smoke in the distance.

"Does Zhang Jun know what kind of place that is?"

"Level?"

"good."

"Actually, I understood many things when you were lecturing at the farm earlier, but how could a timid person dare to participate in such an important matter? However, just now, looking at that checkpoint, I remembered many things."

“Mr. Zhang, you don’t know this, but that checkpoint is guarded by local militia. The leader of the militia is a vicious and ruthless thief. Many years ago, he harassed me several times and robbed me of my goods. Since then, I have changed my route and would rather take a more remote route than take the official road.”

Qu Qiusheng said a few words, then sighed, "When I saw that checkpoint, I wondered how long I could live without you, my lord, and how long my children could live. The world is so vast, yet there is no place for lowly people like us to live."

“If I were to leave with my family, where could I go, and how could I avoid these checkpoints along the way? No matter which way I go, I will still encounter them. There is nowhere to hide. Since I cannot hide, I might as well follow you and destroy these checkpoints.”

Zhang Du burst into laughter.

"Old Master Qu sees things very clearly!"

"To be honest, before we left, I told you several times that you are not capable of great things and should not come with me!"

"But you say that whether they are scholars, farmers, artisans, or merchants, they have all suffered greatly and will not turn a blind eye to this inhumane atrocity. Only when everyone works together can great things be accomplished."

“I had some doubts about what you said before, but now I believe you.”

"It is unprecedented for a person to lose the hearts of the people to this extent; great things are bound to be accomplished!"

Qu Qiusheng dared not hesitate and immediately swore an oath to Zhang Du, swearing on the lives of his entire family, that they would accomplish great things together and would never betray each other.

Zhang Du felt reassured and proceeded with the plan to purchase the restaurant.

Qu Qiusheng taught him many things, "When dealing with these people, you must be ruthless and arrogant. You can't be too polite to them. These people bully the weak and fear the strong."

"I can handle the gift-giving, but Zhang Jun absolutely cannot. You must not show any weakness. There's no need to hide anything about the Duke's mansion. Just say what needs to be said, and you'll avoid a lot of trouble. No one will dare to question you."

They talked as they walked, and soon arrived at the checkpoint.

This pass is indeed very tall. The counties in Hedong were once the core area of ​​the Qi Kingdom, with numerous passes along the way. After the Sui Dynasty unified the country, it did not abandon these passes. Since the emperor came to power, he has been continuously strengthening and expanding them.

The gate looks majestic and sturdy on the outside, but it is rotten inside, just like the world today.

Beneath the tall, sturdy gate walls lay several idle village soldiers.

They lit several campfires, and weapons and shields were carelessly left aside.

The gate to the checkpoint was open, and no one was guarding it.

There were no patrolling soldiers on the walls, not even a flag.

It wasn't until these people noticed the suddenly appearing caravan that the group scrambled to their feet. Someone shouted a few words, and a large number of people rushed out from inside the pass, most of them disheveled and some without any weapons. They ran over in a chaotic mess and blocked the front of the caravan.

These local militia guarding the pass were no different from bandits, but the leaders, with their eyes darting around, seemed quite clever.

These days, you can't guard the gate without being clever.

The leaders were all carefully observing the pedestrians in front of them.

Logically speaking, it is not yet the time for merchants to travel around, and many days have passed without seeing a single person. The sudden appearance of such a caravan is enough to surprise everyone.

They carefully observed the group of people in front of them to determine whether they could afford to provoke them.

Many business people these days have impressive backgrounds. For example, the garrison commander in Taiyuan stopped a suspicious group of people, thinking they might be transporting weapons. In the end, the group of people were fine, but the garrison commander and his entire family died. This is something to be wary of.

The group leader observed carefully, his expression gradually becoming solemn.

The horse wasn't a good horse, and there wasn't much cargo, but the escorts were all young and strong, with fierce-looking faces. The leaders weren't flustered at all when they saw him; in fact, they seemed somewhat disdainful and contemptuous. Many of them were carrying weapons and watching him. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar face and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked forward with a smile, "Isn't this Qu Qiusheng?" "It's been so long since I've seen you. What good stuff have you brought this time?"

Looking at the smiling face in front of him, Qu Qiusheng's face instantly turned red.

Anger burned fiercely.

The extortion and humiliation he had suffered in the past surged up in his mind. For a moment, he even looked forward to the Lord leading them to do great things soon. He really wanted to smash the ugly smile in front of him.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Seeing the greed in the leader's small eyes, Qu Qiusheng had an idea. He forced a smile and bowed to the other party.

"It's me, just like before, bringing some things to sell."

The group leader laughed.

When I woke up this morning, crows flew by. My subordinates said it was a sign of disaster. The leader cursed and thought he was unlucky. But I never expected that today I would not only avoid disaster, but also have great luck! I actually encountered such a great opportunity!

These mediocre merchants were the happiest targets for the garrison commanders.

They wouldn't dare eat the food of top-tier merchants who travel in dozens of carts at a time, while the poor folks who carry their own carts don't have much to eat. Only those with some money but no powerful connections can enjoy the best food.

Seeing Qu Qiusheng, he was no longer afraid; that guy was known for being soft-hearted!

He glanced around and said, "Qu Qiusheng is an old acquaintance, so just check him out. Get them over there as soon as possible."

After saying that, he stood aside with a smile, watching Qu Qiusheng take the money.

The rules of the checkpoint are simple: take the money and leave.

If you don't pay, they'll find something out. It wouldn't be surprising if they found something, but once they find something, you can forget about leaving. Everything will be detained here. Even though they can take more this way, they generally won't steal the goods to avoid overexploiting the resources. They just ask for some money, but only according to the number of vehicles, people, and horses.

They have fixed prices and are honest with everyone, young and old.

The group leader just stared at Qu Qiusheng expectantly, waiting for him to present a gift, but Qu Qiusheng just stood there, as if he knew nothing.

The group leader's expression gradually turned ugly.

"Has Qu Qiusheng forgotten even the rules of passing by after all these years?"

"I remember the rules, but I am not in charge. I am just accompanying you on the trip and I cannot speak."

Qu Qiusheng looked at Zhang Du, who was standing to the side.

The group leader chuckled coldly, "That's none of my business. I only know you. You can talk to him about the rules."

"I can't say."

Qu Qiusheng answered again.

The leader of the group had already sensed something was wrong. He had been stationed here for many years, accumulating countless riches, and had never been dismissed because he was sensible and never provoked anyone he shouldn't.

Qu Qiusheng, who used to be extremely timid, was now fearless, as were the people around him.
The group leader felt a little apprehensive, but after thinking about it, he decided not to take the risk.

"Never mind, never mind, since we're acquaintances, let's not make things difficult for each other."

"Qu Jun, go over there, show the police station, register, and then you can leave!"

Qu Qiusheng snorted coldly; this guy still wasn't falling for it.

He was about to dismount when Zhang Du spurred his horse forward, nearly colliding with the bandit leader. The leader stumbled back a few steps, staring at him in fear. "What do you intend to do?!"

Several local militiamen nearby also hurriedly raised their weapons and aimed them at him.

Zhang Du stared at him unhappily, "You've wasted my time and delayed my delivery date, and you think you can just get away with it like this?"

The group leader's eyes widened. "What does your brother mean by this?"

"Boom~~"

Zhang Du brandished his riding whip, nearly striking the leader's face. Zhang Du's eyes widened in anger as he shouted, "You are a guest of the Duke, how dare you address me as a brother?!"

The militia leader trembled, and the surrounding village soldiers quickly retreated, not daring to approach.

The leader of the group was so frightened that his legs went weak. "How dare I! How dare I! Please don't blame me. I really didn't know who you gentlemen were. Please forgive me! Please forgive me!"

"Forgiveness is easy, but you delayed my delivery, causing me huge losses. How do you plan to compensate me?!"

(End of this chapter)